England skipper Joe Root says Aussie documentary, ‘The Test’, will act as Ashes ‘motivator’

With cricket suspended worldwide, England skipper Joe Root decided to take a look at the Aussie documentary, The Test. Needless to say, it will act a ‘motivator’ when the two sides resume hostilities at the end of next year.

TOPSHOT - Australia's captain Tim Paine (C) lifts the Ashes Urn aloft during the presentation ceremony on the fourth day of the fifth Ashes cricket Test match between England and Australia at The Oval in London on September 15, 2019. - England won the fifth test by 135 runs and drew the series but Australia keeps The Ashes trophy. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. NO ASSOCIATION WITH DIRECT COMPETITOR OF SPONSOR, PARTNER, OR SUPPLIER OF THE ECB (Photo credit should read DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)

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England Test captain Joe Root has said watching the first few episodes of a documentary about the Aussie cricket team has been a “motivator” ahead of the 2021/22 Ashes Down Under.

‘The Test’ charts Australia’s progress from the low of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa through to the high of retaining the Ashes in a drawn series in England last year after the hosts and eventual champions beat them in the World Cup semi-finals.

The largely well-received documentary has also been accused of being a public relations exercise given Cricket Australia had editorial control.

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Australia pulled off an incredible Ashes win in England last year.

But with cricket suspended worldwide because of the coronavirus pandemic, Root decided to take a look.

“Whilst we were away (on tour) I exhausted a lot of the shows that I wanted to watch, it’s come round to watching that now,” he said.

“It’s been a good motivator to get back and train, get back on the bike, use it as a way of incentivising myself.

“I’ve only got to the start of the World Cup, so we’ll see how the rest of it unfolds.”

Root, while acknowledging the importance of the World Test Championship, made clear an Ashes series in Australia remains the acid test for an England cricketer.

Under his leadership, England were beaten 4-0 in the 2017/18 Ashes.

But Root said the threat posed by the likes of fast bowler Mark Wood, man-of-the match in the fourth Test victory against South Africa, added an “X-factor” to England’s attack.

“We’ve seen in South Africa that has played a part, it has found us a way to take 20 wickets in foreign conditions.”

Joe Root and Chris Silverwood will be plotting Australia’s downfall in the next Ashes series.

Turning to top-order rising stars Dom Sibley and Ollie Pope, Root added: “If we can keep putting experience into a number of the young batters as well, give them game time, then we’re starting to build a team that has confidence, experience, is ready and hardened for the challenges Australia will throw at us.”

England followed the drawn Ashes campaign with a 3-1 series win in South Africa only to see their tour of Sri Lanka abandoned before the first Test due to the coronavirus.

Root added the prospect of the 2020 season being abandoned completely had “definitely crossed my mind”.

“It might be that my wife has to start giving me some throw-downs in the back garden but until things become that drastic it will be simply sit tight and wait,” said Root.